jamesn.
Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
A warm and heartfelt welcome back Kristina. We are so glad to have you here with your incredibly deep and profound essay that offers a depth of wisdom so important yet so difficult to apprehend and intergrate in the face of such evil that is being inflicted on Ukraine, and the inspiring bravery of their people. The intimidation, brutality, and threats of total annihilation against helpless civilians attempting to flee is so reminiscent of another time we once again recognize this familiar face long forgotten who has returned once more in the form of Vladimir Putin who seeks to grandize his cause of a return to “Mother Russia” under the veiled cloak of self-righteousness. How can one in modern times attempt such things is for many of us beyond reasoning; yet you remind us, the world and human existence is not suppose to measure up to one’s expectations, but accepted for what it is and to bring forth from the depth of our being our ability to address it.
Your articulation in how to do this is almost beyond words within the insight it brings, yet you offer a wisdom that’s needed so much as we attempt to forgive ourselves as well as our enemies if we can but only understand that they are the other side of the duality in which we all exist. Stephen asked that I share a quote from a prior discussion last week with Bradley Olson regarding his essay: “The King Who Saved Himself from Being Saved” which I will leave below:
Loving your enemy as yourself” doesn’t necessarily mean accepting evil; but understanding it’s the other side of the duality that lives in all of us. It’s a war and you have to choose a side, but you do it with discrimination within the choices you make.”
But to me it is the theme of “compassion” for ourselves as well as our enemies you mention that helps to heal our deep woundedness, and allows us to move forward as we seek a deeper and more profound understanding of why this is necessary.
As you quote from Joseph Campbell in “Pathways to Bliss” on page 103:
To expect too much compassion from yourself might be a little destructive of your own existence. Even so, at least make a try, and this goes not only for individuals but also for life itself. It’s so easy. It’s a fashionable idiocy of youth to say the world has not come up to your expectations. ‘What? I was coming, and this is all they could prepare for me?’ Throw it out. Have compassion for the world and those in it. Not only political life but all life stinks, and you must embrace that with compassion.”
And indeed it would be ridiculous to expect life to measure up to our expectations because as the symbol of the “Ouroboros”; (the serpent that eats itself); informs us, all life is a continuing manifestation of both terror and wonder by it’s requirements of participation in the realization and rapture of engagement of being alive. We accept life for what it is and participate in the game; the Grand Opera that hurts, but we do so with love and the understanding that if we capitulate to the negative dark side that lies within us we deny ourselves the privilege of being human, (so easy to say, yet so very difficult to do, but try we must). A very steep hill to climb without question, and one many of us may have severe problems in doing so.
From your essay:
All human beings have challenges, meet obstacles, suffer betrayals, humiliations, and disappointments. These we are obliged to bear. Self-compassion also means encompassing such things because in the wider embrace of compassion, everything gets to be included. But many of us fail to develop a gentle rapport with ourselves. Too often we’re a tiger to our own gazelle. In this we can become a danger to ourselves, forgetting that together we are all on the same team: the team of humanity. In this sense, humanity is one collective “we” and it operates across various levels of human awareness. Or, put in a more poetic way, an aspect of divinity exists in all our friends, enemies, interactions… and within us, residing at the seat of our soul.
For the sacred is truly in everything. We bear an archetypal human divinity within us, although it can sometimes feel barely emergent. It’s what I sense Campbell is getting at here by discussing participatory companionship.”
Which I think addresses this overview understanding eloquently but succinctly. (But I have a “caveat”); which Joseph mentions somewhere; (I can’t remember the exact reference location but I believe is quoted in Diane Osbon’s A Joseph Campbell Companion; which states: “If you see a snake about to bite someone you kill it. You are not saying no to serpents, but no to the that particular situation.” And here is where the distinctions of judgement may reside on how we can justify how we deal with the horrors of Putin’s behavior if we are to “save the world”: (so to speak); on how we are to handle this horrible ordeal he is putting everyone through. Joseph said we participate in this game and we must pick a side; but as you remind us we must not lose our humanity in doing so.
______________________________________________________________________________
As Stephen pinpoints our dilemma of how do we get to this mental and emotional place in how we deal with this nightmare you address these concerns here:
‘Where am I a totalitarian? Maybe it’s in my all-or-nothing/black-and-white thinking? Where am I controlling? Where am I manipulative and coercive hoping for appeasement? Where am I greedy and power hungry, wanting more than is necessary? Which hungry ghosts can’t I satiate, no matter how hard I try? Where am I an isolationist and not open to alternative views? To which situations and people do I lack empathy?’
But let’s also ask ourselves, ‘Where is the spirit of the Ukrainian people in me? The courage, the bravery, the resistance in the face of overwhelming odds? Where is my grittiness? My selflessness? Where do I show powerful conviction in my beliefs? Where do I support the greater good? Where do I not just uphold my values, but actually live them in the trenches? How do I foster a spirit of camaraderie and boost morale? How do I display hope when a situation feels hopeless?’
Other than what we can practically do besides financially support the recommended aid groups or donate in other ways, we can also put our psyches to work. Say you have a stressful meeting coming up with an adversary, tell yourself that you will dedicate your composure to be in solidarity with the Ukrainian people. Or if you find yourself often disassociating, commit to living the next 24 hours in as much as presence as you can, in honour of those Ukrainian people fleeing who need to focus on bare-bones survival. When you tweet #StandwithUkraine, what are you also standing with and for in your own local community? With honour, dedication, reverence and gratitude we have the potential to transform the wastelands of the human experience.”
(So, I guess my concern has to do with:” how do we stop this horror from continuing without falling prey to our more base instincts of recrimination; yet at the same time still do what is necessary to stop this insane nightmare from continuing?”)
____________________________________________________________________________I hope my description is not too convoluted, for these subjects can often get tangled up in concepts that are like: “a dog chasing it’s tail”. But before I wind this up I just want to say how deeply moved we all are at the truly heroic spirit that continues to inspire everyone who feels so helpless at what their people are having to go through, and that our hearts are with them and go out to all who are having to endure this unbelievable insanity. Again it is so wonderful to have you with us.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Since no one has had a chance to respond I’m going to add an (addendum) that came to me last night in my dreams that perhaps the answer to my (caveat) might be that of the “Transcendent Function”. Here is a definition from Daryl Sharp’s Lexicon that may be of help explaining this concept for those who may not be familiar with the term:
Transcendent function. A psychic function that arises from the tension between consciousness and the unconscious and supports their union. (See also opposites and tertium non datur.)
‘When there is full parity of the opposites, attested by the ego’s absolute participation in both, this necessarily leads to a suspension of the will, for the will can no longer operate when every motive has an equally strong countermotive. Since life cannot tolerate a standstill, a damming up of vital energy results, and this would lead to an insupportable condition did not the tension of opposites produce a new, uniting function that transcends them. This function arises quite naturally from the regression of libido caused by the blockage.'[Ibid., par. 824.]
‘The tendencies of the conscious and the unconscious are the two factors that together make up the transcendent function. It is called transcendent’ because it makes the transition from one attitude to another organically possible.[The Transcendent Function,” CW 8, par. 145.]
In a conflict situation, or a state of depression for which there is no apparent reason, the development of the transcendent function depends on becoming aware of unconscious material. This is most readily available in dreams, but because they are so difficult to understand Jung considered the method of active imagination-giving “form” to dreams, fantasies, etc.–to be more useful.
‘Once the unconscious content has been given form and the meaning of the formulation is understood, the question arises as to how the ego will relate to this position, and how the ego and the unconscious are to come to terms. This is the second and more important stage of the procedure, the bringing together of opposites for the production of a third: the transcendent function. At this stage it is no longer the unconscious that takes the lead, but the ego.’ [Ibid., par. 181.]
This process requires an ego that can maintain its standpoint in face of the counterposition of the unconscious. Both are of equal value. The confrontation between the two generates a tension charged with energy and creates a living, third essence.
‘From the activity of the unconscious there now emerges a new content, constellated by thesis and antithesis in equal measure and standing in a compensatory relation to both. It thus forms the middle ground on which the opposites can be united. If, for instance, we conceive the opposition to be sensuality versus spirituality, then the mediatory content born out of the unconscious provides a welcome means of expression for the spiritual thesis, because of its rich spiritual associations, and also for the sensual antithesis, because of its sensuous imagery. The ego, however, torn between thesis and antithesis, finds in the middle ground its own counterpart, its sole and unique means of expression, and it eagerly seizes on this in order to be delivered from its division.’ [“Definitions,” CW 6, par. 825.]
The transcendent function is essentially an aspect of the self-regulation of the psyche. It typically manifests symbolically and is experienced as a new attitude toward oneself and life.
‘If the mediatory product remains intact, it forms the raw material for a process not of dissolution but of construction, in which thesis and antithesis both play their part. In this way it becomes a new content that governs the whole attitude, putting an end to the division and forcing the energy of the opposites into a common channel. The standstill is overcome, and life can flow on with renewed power towards new goals.'[Ibid., par. 827.]”
___________________
(This symbolic reference reminds me of the “Wounded Healer” archetype which perhaps the “snake bite” suffered by the individual might be the (symbolic connection) required to bring about the insight needed to resolve the dilemma. (Again, from Daryl Sharp’s Lexicon.):
Wounded Healer. An archetypal dynamic that may be constellated in an analytic relationship. This term derives from the legend of Asclepius, a Greek doctor who in recognition of his own wounds established a sanctuary at Epidaurus where others could be healed of theirs.
Those seeking to be cured went through a process called incubation. First, they had a cleansing bath, thought to have a purifying effect on the soul as well as the body. Uncontaminated by the body, the soul was free to commune with the gods. After preliminary sacrificial offerings, the incubants lay on a couch and went to sleep. If they were lucky, they had a healing dream; if they were luckier, a snake came in the night and bit them.
The wounded healer archetype can be schematized by a variation of the diagram used by Jung to illustrate the lines of communication in a relationship.[See “The Psychology of the Transference,” The Practice of Psychother-apy, CW 16, par. 422
[Unfortunately, there is a drawing from his text that illustrates this transitional “transference” process but would not copy over to this format. Sharp continues]:
According to this paradigm, the analyst’s wounds, although presumed to be relatively conscious after a lengthy personal analysis, live a shadowy existence. They can always be reconstellated in particular situations, and especially when working with someone whose wounds are similar. (They are the basis for countertransference reactions in analysis.)
Meanwhile, the wounded analysand’s inner healer is in the shadow but potentially available. The analysand’s wounds activate those of the analyst. The analyst reacts, identifies what is happening and in one way or another, consciously or unconsciously, passes this awareness back to the analysand.
In this model, the unconscious relationship between analyst and analysand is quite as important, in terms of the healing process, as what is consciously communicated. There are two other significant implications:
1) Healing can take place only if the analyst has an ongoing relationship with the unconscious. Otherwise, he or she may identify with the healer archetype, a common form of inflation.
2) Depth psychology is a dangerous profession, since the analyst is forever prone to being infected by the other’s wounds-or having his or her wounds reopened.
‘No analysis is capable of banishing all unconsciousness forever. The analyst must go on learning endlessly, and never forget that each new case brings new problems to light and thus gives rise to unconscious assumptions that have never before been constellated. We could say, without too much exaggeration, that a good half of every treatment that probes at all deeply consists in the doctor’s examining himself, for only what he can put right in himself can he hope to put right in the patient. It is no loss, either, if he feels that the patient is hitting him, or even scoring off him: it is his own hurt that gives the measure of his power to heal. This, and nothing else, is the meaning of the Greek myth of the wounded physician.’ [“Fundamental Questions of Psychotherapy,” ibid. para. 239.]”
Although this term is often referred to in analysis concerning the idea of “Transference”; to me it’s application if seen as “compassion” would seem to fit one of the ideas we are addressing which is that of human interconnection. Perhaps with this understanding in mind what we might call: “the wound that heals” could also be seen to be a symbolic reference to at least part of what you were saying about “forgiveness of both ourselves, (and the “other” that resides within us); as well as the people we might want to reject. Although these ideas may or may not fit with what you originally had in mind, I will definitely be looking forward to your thoughts on this additional content as well. Again, all the best to you and the inspiring Ukrainian countrymen as you facing this horrible nightmare, and hopefully it will end as soon as possible. Namaste
(One last point concerning some corrections with my text that needed to made. I feel so fortunate to have the assistance of Stephen’s moderator “Superpowers” for I made several large errors that have now been corrected in case you read my post earlier. My apologies for this. I just don’t know what we would do here without him.)
Bradley, the work that you, Stephen, Michael, and the rest of the foundation is doing is so very important right now. Thank you for your kindness for this place has meant the world to me over the years and I will always be grateful to have had it in my life. (Btw, I sent a private message with a link to Daryl Sharp’s Bookstore – “Inner City Books”, a Jungian website which I think you might find of interest.)
The explanation you posted was magnificent. Thank you for sharing such wonderful insights. All the best to you.
Bradley, I wanted to thank you for your kind and generous response to my post and also to ask your thoughts on the current global reactions to the Ukrainian crisis since it’s already come up. Let me expand on this for a moment and attempt a connection to your topic because I saw a piece this morning on my newsfeed that I think connects the dots.
Because events regarding Ukraine are happening so fast and affecting the world’s ability to absorb them with any kind of unified assessment; I say this from a cultural point of absorption, not necessarily an emotional one. “Most” people agree this is a horrific event; but they also interpret this from different vantage points; or put another way through the prism of their own lens. In other words, they “project” their own bias and meaning in the way they see this calamity and many of these different points of view definitely conflict. Leaving the political aspect aside for the moment I think this is a good insight into reflecting how people all see things from their own window of view but have problems getting on the same page even when the visual clearly illustrates what is happening.
In your piece you use the metaphoric story of the: “King who saved themselves from being saved” as an example of how humans tend to interpret things in a certain way and take for granted this view of their reality is also shared by others when nothing could be farther from the reality they are accessing; namely that there may be something “at work under the hood” they may not be aware of that may need attention. In other words, projecting their own inner contents onto something that is out of sync with what is actually in play. (I’m doing my best not to make this convoluted so please bear with me.)
Joseph talked often about how people see a myth and concretize it, such as a religion, and should instead see it metaphorically to understand it’s references and message. But in places like the Middle East for instance you have huge differences of interpretation of mythic themes that are responsible for wars and killing people all the time because these various interpretations are not in agreement. In short, people project and we know this as a given in Jungian parlance, but in everyday human intercourse not so much and causes huge communication problems throughout much of human existence since time began. I look at someone and attempt to access if I like them or if they are friendly or not, in a sense I’m projecting my thoughts onto them in my evaluation process.
Okay, now to the piece which is a very quick read; about 2 minutes if that. And it concerns: “Media bias between Western and Eastern Journalists“. I’m curious if this article rings any kinds of bells concerning how you see what we’ve been talking about in our conversation. Again, thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us and I hope this request does not steer us too far off course.
______________________
(A short addendum if I may. I’m asking this from “both” a Jungian/Campbell point of view and a personal perspective for this may mean putting on and taking off your analyst hat.
Thank you for the compliment, Stephen; you are most kind. Certainly, I will be more than happy to join in and contribute whatever I can to the coming discussion with Kristina. I’m so sorry she has to endure this horrific nightmare tragedy.
Speaking of which I want to mention something that I think has much to do with all the toxic animosity that has been making everyone so miserable for a long time that bears watching looking ahead. To me one of the greatest contributors to hatred is willful: “misinformation”. Not only has it cost lives here in the US concerning the Covid pandemic but has been used as propaganda to spread lies and change perceptions across a number of platforms for a very long time. Russia in particular has been notorious in weaponizing this as a political tool since the cold war; and of course, the Nazi regime as Joseph mentioned in POM turned people from a “thou into an it”. Especially treacherous considering the slaughter of millions of Jews in gas chambers back during the Second World War. The US along with many other nationalities turned African people into slaves for several centuries; and the recent rise of White Supremacists bears witness that racism has returned across the planet in a big way, (especially given the recent rise in immigrant populations of which this new war is going to contribute).
For me I think this issue in particular is going to be huge in the coming years ahead because climate change is going to negatively impact the world’s ability to feed itself. (That, and all the destruction that’s going to be caused by violent weather events because the global environments are now all very out of balance. Melting polar ice caps, warming sea currents, huge temperature shifts and increasing moisture in the atmosphere along with more and more carbon emissions polluting the air and rising sea levels are going to cause masses of populations to relocate.
Everything in my view is going to hinge on the world’s ability to come to civilized agreement on how to meet these needs and demands. Perception of whether someone is your friend, or your enemy is going to be a major factor in combating these coming crisis situations looking ahead. Think this is mere speculation? Watch your news feeds and look at all the violent protests across the planet right now. Joseph said the world is a mess and will always be a mess and you are not going to change that reality. (But he also said: “you participate in the mess that the world is with compassion”.) I very much look forward to participating with you and Kristina on this topic next week. And thank you very much for asking. Sorry to veer so far off topic.
I’d like to add something to the point about understanding who a hero is and how one becomes a hero in their own life; (which I also think has a great deal to do with: “The King who saved himself from being saved”); which in the larger sense is: “making the unconscious conscious”, a central theme in Jung’s cosmology.
Now I think there are two aspects at play here that might be helpful to examine. One is the social idea or image; and two, is the individual psyche which is looking inward as well as outward in its’ response. For example, when on page xiii; in the “Power of Myth”, Bill Moyers mentions Joseph talking about seeing the latest incarnation of Oedipus, the continued romance of “Beauty and the Beast” standing on the corner of Times Square on 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue, waiting for the light to change; or, as he mentions later Luke Skywalker overcoming his Shadow impulse of the Dark Side by not killing Darth Vader; (his father); and being willing to die for that and becoming who he was meant to be. (That is to say his “true” self), not the societal image of someone wearing a mask or living a role inappropriate to who that is, and he has won the “internal battle” which is the most important one and the one that myth continually informs us about of making the unconscious conscious.
As Joseph continually reminds us, these mythic images and themes live in us, and we are to “awaken” to this dimension that lies deep within and to bring it to life by becoming aware of it. Individuation is “all” about this process; but at the same time recognizing our dragons and integrating them; (not necessarily destroying them but embracing that “otherness” that lies within); that aspect that tells you that: “you and the other are one”; no matter who they are. In other words: “loving your enemy as yourself” doesn’t necessarily mean accepting evil; but understanding it’s the other side of the duality that lives in all of us. It’s a war and you have to choose a side, but you do it with discrimination within the choices you make and (how) you “participate” in the game or Grand Opera that hurts.
Putin is really who is causing all this death and destruction, not the Russian people. And like Donald Trump in our country is attempting to manipulate this situation because he has been seduced by the Dark Side, which is what “The Emperor” in Star Wars represents which is total power not accountable to anyone but himself. As the old saying goes: “Power corrupts, total or absolute power corrupts absolutely”. So, in this instance perhaps a more proper question might be: “How can I awaken this dimension within myself?” Thereby, like in fairy tales like: “Sleeping Beauty”, Arthurian romances like: “Persival”; Epics like Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings”; or any number of other ones Joseph mentions; by awakening the landscape in which I am enclosed and attempting to turn a nightmare into something not only that I can live with; but joyfully participating in by helping to relieve some of the suffering of others as well as oneself. Of course, I’m not saying everybody should get in a circle and sing “Kumbaya”, but the central issue; (at least to me); seems to be that of transformation of consciousness; that is to say the internal darkness within your own participation in that landscape. This is a rather clumsy attempt at what I’m trying to get at; but hopefully makes some sense in getting my point across.
___________________________________________________________________________
(I want to add a short addendum about what I’m attempting to clarify concerning my posts. Jung said: “the world hangs on a thread”. And Putin has his finger on nuclear hardware that can bring about the destruction of the entire planet. So, the forces contained within the human psyche are not “abstract”. They may not be visible; but they have been driving human consciousness throughout man’s earliest beginnings; and we must be able to learn what they are within each individual and how to control them or civilization as we know it is lost to oblivion along with the world of which we are a part.)
Here is a post from this morning’s newfeeds from the President of Ukraine.
Hello Bradley, so wonderful to have you back with such a great metaphoric example of the how the hero and its’ many manifestations are so often misunderstood in real everyday life. I loved how you utilize humor in prying open how we all have a tendency to visualize the journey of transformation of: ” the King who saved himself from being saved” and turned it into a pulling back of the curtain to reveal what’s really going on with the normal implied expectations usually taken for granted of the hero’s job; (which as Stephen also pointed out is “not” a career).
When Joseph asks if we know: “what is really pushing us from inside and what our personal myth is when we lose everything”; when we look back over our life and see the driving themes he is asking if we recognize what these things are. (And most of the time as you hint, we really don’t because the alchemy required is in the doing itself, and not the romantic tale that it is often clothed in as a motif.) I often wonder if many people think there is some kind of “Hero Manual” that tells you what to do and when to do it; (like: “I guess it’s time for me to go on my adventure and slay my dragon”); when much of the time it’s actually during a time of personal crisis where we are backed into a corner where we have to face ourselves which is where the “real” dragon lives. I realize my explanation may sound a bit convoluted, so I’ll attempt to use a couple examples to try and help clarify what I’m getting at.
I’ve been reading a lot of Daryl Sharp’s books lately which has really been helpful for me to get at what’s been working on me so I will leave a short link (here) for anyone who wants to look up his terminology for references; but my main purpose is to quote his own particular experience so there can be no ambiguity; (and yes; he specifically utilizes Joseph’s idea concerning the Hero and the transformation quest so there is no doubt as to its’ relevance to what I’m attempting to describe).
In his book: “Jungian Psychology Unplugged- My life as an Elephant” he quotes several moments where he hit rock bottom and it was only then that he understood what was taking place within him and what he needed to understand.
Starting with the preface and during several other chapters he talks about his early beginnings and training to be a Jungian Analyst and early on he was struggling with his own personal crisis and having doubts about who he was and if he was on the right track, and what analysis is really all about because this particular book was written toward the end of his large series of works and that his main purpose was to make Jung understandable to others. In the following excerpts he talks about his confrontation with this realization and how it brought him to his knees.
On pages 100-101 he explains he was starting his session with his analyst by describing the usual things about how his previous week had been; and he said: “It was a good week. I lied.” he began wondering if he should tell him about all the secret things that had really been bothering him; (you know those things we never tell anyone because we don’t want to look bad, and desperately need their acceptance), those deep dark things you would never tell anyone. Then forcing a smile, he said: “Nothing special.” He read from his journal, his usual routine, diligently recording the days’ events – edited to make him look good – followed by the dreams that night and his associations to their bizarre images. He amplified the themes from mythology and religion and reflected at length on their psychological meaning. Then he said: “No doubt about it, I was a prize student. I did everything I was supposed to. I could not be faulted on procedure.”
“And what else?” asked my analyst. “What else what?” I asked.” “What else occurs to you. What else about this woman; (something he had mentioned earlier), this unknown female who asks you for a dance?”
“Well, she is my anima, isn’t she?”
“I don’t speak Greek,” said my analyst. “Explain please.”
Then he said leaning back confidently: “The anima is my inner woman.” I said. “Everybody knows that. Apparently she wants to get closer to me. Well,” I laughed, “I wouldn’t mind.” (Here comes the important line in the conversation.) The analyst leans forward and asks: “Why are you here?”
He then powerfully recounts: “I cringed. Tears stung my eyes. I opened my mouth and nothing came out. I cried uncontrollably. I also had hiccups. I wiped my face. “Sorry about that,” I said. “I don’t know what came over me.”
My analyst looked quite stern. I felt naked and stripped to the bone. I hung there, expecting to be banished. Please God, I thought, do not tell me I’m unworthy. Then he smiled, openly, full face, a rare occurrence that to me sang of acceptance. and then he said: “Now we do analysis; if that’s what you want.”
From there he talks about how that was a turning point followed by others where he said there was now trust where there hadn’t been before. I broke down and it was okay; and after that I left my persona at the door.
__________________
This was followed by one more session I think is important to mention on the same page 101; where he mentions he found a hat: “Once I found a dead ringer of a Clint Eastwood hat, right out of “Fist Full of Dollars”. “It’s so wonderful,” I said. “All my cares disappear. I feel at one.”
My analyst said: “Ah…one,” he said, slowly rolling his words. “What exactly does that mean?” “Peace,” I replied gamely. “Bliss…no conflict, no pain.” He nodded. “I see—swallowed by the great maw. You feel good just being.” (Another critical sentence here.) “It relieves you of having to become conscious.”
Then Daryl finishes this thought by saying: “Then I got to work, and yes, things did get worse before they got better.”
_________________________________________________________________
So, on page 107 he starts to describe the point about the Hero Journey motif:
“Although I didn’t realize it at the time, the day I entered analysis I embarked on a heroic adventure. To understand what this means involves thinking symbolically or metaphorically rather than literally.
Being crippled is an apt metaphor for those who find themselves in a psychological crisis. Broken in spirit, unable to function in their usual way, they are on their knees”: they want to pull themselves together, get back on their feet. Meanwhile they limp along.
On page 108-109 again Sharp approaches and dives deep into this archetypal image of the hero and the journey/transformation process he/she must undergo that Joseph is so often referring to throughout the spectrum of many of the cultural forms this theme is ever found throughout human history.
“Symbolically, the hero’s journey is a round, as illustrated opposite; (in a picture on the opposite page taken from: “The Hero with a Thousand Faces” on page 245). Among other things, it involves a dangerous trial of some kind, psychologically analogous, writes Jung, to “attempt to free ego-consciousness from the deadly grip of the unconscious. (Jung’s Symbols of Transformation, page 539). It is a motif represented by imprisonment, crucifixion, dismemberment, abduction–the kind of experience weathered by sun-gods and other heros since time immemorial. Gilgamesh, Osiris, Christ, Dante, Odysseus, Aeneas, as well as Pinocchio, and “Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz”. In the language of the mystics, it is called the dark night of the soul. In everyday life, we know it as a feeling of despair and a desire to hide under the covers.
_______________
Sharp goes further in describing the ways the hero undertakes and accomplishes this mission, but winds up describing the purpose by saying on page 110: “Few choose the hero’s journey. Who would be willingly leave the comfort of home and hearth for a whale’s belly? Who would want to face dragons? But when something in us demands the journey, we are obliged to live it out. whether we like it or not.
Analysts cannot save people from the hazards to be faced nor should they even try. What nature has ordained, let no one interfere with. The hero’s journey is an inner imperative that must be allowed to run its’ course. The most analysts can do is to accompany their charges and alert them to some of the dangers along the way.
_______________________________________________________________________________
I’ll wind up this up here for it’s gotten pretty long, and I’m sure has seemed to ramble a bit along the way. But the point I’m attempting to establish is that much of the time when people think of this idea or concept, they have a tendency to think of it in terms of a kind of stereotypical pattern or motif that can lead one away from what it’s trying to communicate. Your “MythBlast article – The King Who Saved Himself from Being Saved” achieved this realization masterfully. And I hope my humble attempt compliments it without wandering too far away from its’ intended purpose. Thanks for reading, and again, welcome back.
Kristina, it’s so good to have you back again, and the way you illustrate this subject I think is so important right now. So many of us don’t know what is pushing us from the inside, and indeed so often we are unaware as you and Stephen both talk about how the “misstep” can give us a clue. One of the ways Joseph addresses this is by his quotes about what a “personal myth” is; and that by looking back over our lives we can actually see these events that seem like catastrophes are really major clues that help point the way in revealing what our path is telling us.
Stephen’s moving account of his earlier life history is a great example where like for many of us we hit a brick wall before we get the message that our life is asking for something else and we must affirm, find, and follow that inner search for the answers. And also, as Tomcallahan8 mentions we can’t change the past but must use what happened as a clue when we start looking ahead to find our way forward. This grateful: “love of our fate” they both refer to I think could also be seen as our (call) to our inner destiny; and when Joseph mentions his research into the work of: Frobenius, Bastian, Frazer, and Spengler on various occasions; (as well as Jung); these themes seem to bear this out.
For instance, when he asks: Do you know what would sustain you in the face of a total catastrophe where you lose everything you have? And then he says it’s not the 5 values most people usually rely on for their main purpose or meaning in life of: survival, security, personal relationships, prestige, or self-development; but something deeper of more inward value. An inward zeal that drives you mad; something that you would sacrifice your very life for; not something that makes you comfortable, but something that gives you meaning and purpose, something that fulfils you to your very core and sense of existence. Something that pulls you out of yourself that tells you it’s time to leave and find out what this thing is that’s driving you crazy. “Do you know what that is? Joseph says that’s your “personal myth”, and it’s not your career, not your bio or your resume; but what fulfills and sustains you, and it’s not a destination, but a life changing and morphing journey that tells you: “this is what I need and who I am”.
Something I think that confuses us so often is that as our life stages change, we must change and go with it. In other words, as Jung mentions also, the life requirements must match this metamorphosis as we age from that of achievement to that of meaning. “He who looks outward sees; but he who looks inward awakens” Why is this so? Because as Jung also mentions: “we are in a constant state of becoming until we die”. And that is to say that what informs and sustains us must match what our inner world is asking for; not what the outer world deems as important. And that we are each unique individual human beings, and each one of us has a destiny; (if we can find it), and that destiny expresses this unique potential that lies within each one of us. We are not clones, we are not robots, and we are to resist the claims of the outward “wasteland”; with its system of requirements that it says are important; and it indeed is a hero’s journey that calls us from inside to live that life that we hear and feel to the very depths of our soul; even though at the beginning we may not know what that call to adventure really is; we only know we must go and find it.
One of the things I like that is helpful to me he said is we can construct our own individual inner sanctuary or “sacred space” that we can utilize to figure some of these things out. As a matter of fact, Joseph thought doing this was critical if the modern individual is going to have any kind of inward life that helps to provide the meaning and purpose, they may need to navigate with to find their way. What did you do as a child? he asks. There lies one of the clues in finding and constructing one’s own inner world and navigation system; and if they do this something will happen. “Symbols” are good too. If you can find some that help you to identify some of the problems you are having, then you can use these things as tools to help identify and turn them into references that help to point the way out of your dilemma. (One I like is the: “Ariadne Thread”); but of course, there are many others to choose from.
I really like the way you have framed this discussion because you have made it very easy to grapple with; and your clarity is unmistakable in a very warm, comfortable, and apprehendable way. Sometimes these topics can get all tangled up in mythological references with multiple meanings that can sometimes be difficult to unravel and identify the proper references and applications that are being discussed. Thank you for this, and I very much look forward to hearing your thoughts. (Stephen; btw, that was an extremely moving personal account you shared; and I very much appreciated hearing it.)
Leigh, your thoughtfulness is deeply appreciated for I have spent the last few days processing our conversation and its relevance to my journey over the last few years. The book by Stephen Miller is on the way; (although I have not read the Saga book, I mentioned I may get to that eventually); and I was never able to track down the essay. David Kudler or Stephen may know where it can be found. I seem to remember Miller remarking at a gathering of some sort when looking at a group of empty chairs surrounding a round table ressembling Arther’s court: “Yes, they are all there”; as if to say the knight’s mythical presence as a reference could be felt even though one could not actually see them. “The Fire is in the Mind” is the piece he wrote about Joseph Campbell as I remember; but I may be mistaken about that. Your recommendation is “spot on” however, and I’m sure the book will be very helpful when it arrives in the next few days. This morning I went perusing through the Foundation’s “Quote” section: (yes, all 500 of them, lol); and I was amazed at the number of references to “play” that kept popping up.
Speaking of which your musical interests and experiences sound fascinating; you were very kind to ask about my musical background as well. I was a professional sideman; (Congas and a little Afro-Latin and Brazilian percussion); for 45 years in Nashville, (although not the kind of instrumentation one normally associates with what is usually produced by the Country recording industry. My career was about as varied as I ever could have imagined, some touring and recording with a few well-known acts over the years; but the larger amount with up-and-coming groups and artists that were well out of the Country mainstream, such as Jazz, Rock, Rhythm and Blues, Latin, and even Brazilian; (although hard to imagine there). I played every kind of gig you could think of such as: weddings, clubs, restaurants, juke joints, concerts, taught a little bit, and worked plenty of day jobs to support my passion which kept body and soul alive. (I have a short magazine bio located in the personal projects section of the forums, or I would be more than happy to send you the link in a personal message if you are interested in a more detailed description.) I always get a bit self-conscious about these sorts of things.
I never made a lot of money at it, but that’s not the purpose when you find something you love; (the privilege of a lifetime to me is finding something that tells you who you are and feeds your soul), but I think the whole “Star” thing really distorts what this is all about because when you get to the end of that phase of your life journey you come up against your own identity destiny quest and what you lived your life for. If your answers fall short of what’s pushing you out of your own interior, then a new inner quest may be in order. So, the individuation process; (this alchemical cooking inside), has me on the hunt. What was it Joseph said? Something about the first phase of life is seeking realization of outward achievement; (like a career or pursuit that serves that purpose); but then in later life all that stuff that’s buried deep in the unconscious starts making its presence felt and asking to be heard so the journey inward begins, and we look for some of the deeper meanings our lives may be asking for. Something Jung said: “He who looks outward sees; but he who looks inward awakens”; or something to that effect.
But back to: “Play”; I think this idea is much more important than many of us realize; and that many of us are so stressed and apprehensive about Covid and keeping our lives together while supporting ourselves; much less seeing all the political toxic disarray around us, that finding “play” can be a really big deal. (Not just as a concept or idea; but in the way we interpret the world we are living in every day.) For instance, when a child is engaged in play, they are creating the world (anew) again every time they do something. There is that sense of wonder and discovery that we as adults have forgotten and must rediscover. And I think the archetypes that get stimulated in the unconscious not only let us know something is wrong or missing; but can help point the way through play to the direction we need to go. And this I think is the truly wonderful thing about any art that meets that inner need that not only fulfills you; but can also inform you what all these things going on inside you are attempting to communicate.
So, the search into the forest begins again. (Where and what is that core complex?) that’s making you do all these funny things Joseph mentions. Do you know what it is that’s driving you? What do you do to address that? (And notice I said address and not fix.) Because that may be that the thing worth keeping. This alchemy stuff is curious business; and the shadow may reveal parts of you that are a huge surprise in more ways than one.
I wanted to briefly bring up Don Quixote because there is an insightful thing Joseph mentions in his conversation with Bill Moyers in “The Power of Myth” that I think applies not only to this mythic realm they are discussing; (for instance knights, chivalry, and psychosis); but how we as individuals might think about play as it relates to this “Wasteland” we all have to deal with in the modern world; especially now more than ever.
On page 129 they are discussing the hero’s call and how it evokes one’s character, and that actually the adventure is a manifestation of one’s character because the quest is something that person is ready for and it’s how they respond to it that affects and helps to determine its’ possible outcome. Now we get into the challenge of living within a system, because everyone has to figure out how to meet and assimilate this challenge to create a life for themselves. This is important because as he said people have stopped listening to themselves- and herein lies the risk of the call of the left-hand path of the hero instead of staying warm and cozy in the village compound of the right-hand path. They may risk a mental crackup because the heart is not always interested in just following the herd and doing what one is told. People are not herd animals or slaves to social ideals unless they choose to be so. Something tells them inside this is all wrong; but maybe they have responsibilities that cannot be ignored; and the below is not about finding a hobby because that is not what is working on them from inside themselves.
___________________________________________________________________________
I don’t want to quote the whole conversation; just a few paragraphs should give you a general idea of what he is talking about. On page 130 Moyers asks:
“So perhaps the hero lurks in each one of us when we don’t know it?
Campbell: “Our life evokes our character. You find out more about yourself as you go on. That’s why it is good to put yourself in situations that will evoke your higher nature rather than your lower. “Lead us not into temptation.”
“Oretga y Gasset talks about the environment and the hero in his “Meditations on Don Quixote”. Don Quixote was the last hero of the Middle Ages. He rode out to encounter giants, but instead of giants, his environment produced windmills. Ortega points out that this story takes place about the time that a mechanistic interpretation of the world came in, so that the environment is no longer spiritually responsive to the hero. The hero of today is running up against a hard world that is in no way responsive to his spiritual need.”
Moyers: “A windmill?”
Campbell:
“Yes, but Quixote saved the adventure for himself by inventing a magician who had just transformed the giants he had gone forth to encounter into windmills. You can do that too, if you have a poetic imagination. Earlier, though, it was not a mechanistic world in which the hero moved but a world alive and responsive to his spiritual readiness. Now it has become to such an extent a sheerly mechanistic world, as interpreted through our physical senses, Marxist sociology, and behavioristic psychology, that we’re nothing but a predictable pattern of wires responding to stimuli. This nineteenth-century interpretation has squeezed the freedom of the human will out of modern life.”Moyers: “In the political sense, is there a danger that these myths of the heroes teach us to look at the deeds of others as if we were in an amphitheater or coliseum or a movie, watching others perform great deeds while consoling ourselves to impotence?”
Campbell: “I think this is something that has overtaken us only recently in this culture. The one who watches athletic games instead pf participating in athletics is involved in surrogate achievement. But when you think about what people are actually undergoing in our civilization, you realize it’s a very grim thing to be a modern human being. The drudgery of the lives of most of the people who have to support families—well it’s a life-extinguishing affair.”
________________________________________________________________________
So, I hope you see the connection I was attempting to establish between what we normally think of as “play” to this larger social and mythical application; and perhaps would share some of your thoughts about this. Again, thank you for your very kind and generous reply. (Before I go; thank you so much for sharing all your new musical pursuits and I really loved your song titles. From reading the way you write I’ll bet your harp playing is exquisite. Good luck with learning the mandolin; if you ever come to Nashville, I’d be honored to show you around.)
Leigh, so sorry I missed your kind and thoughtful response. Yes, this topic definitely evokes a lot in me for as a musician for over 45 years playing music was my life. But there was another life inside which I had forgotten about that called to me from deep below the surface which Joseph Campbell has helped me to understand; and a whole new journey has revealed itself over these recent years which he and Jung have helped me come to know. One that combines so many of the inner worlds that were not given a voice; and have tested and enriched me beyond what I had previously known. Each of us has inner things that reveal themselves as our life unfolds; and I had no idea how powerful they were. But all had something to show me about my life as they continue to still. As Jung said: “We are in a constant state of becoming”; and I think that’s very true.
Individuation what? I’d never heard of such a thing. And all those things you may or may not have paid attention to in school suddenly came alive with new meaning. I was trying to remember something I read concerning a David Miller piece called: “The fire is in the Mind” included in a SAGA book set of essays reviewed by Jonathon Young all about Campbell. A lot of heavy weight authors I’m sure you would recognize; but it’s a Parabola piece as I recall; and for some strange reason whenever I try to follow up a quote or something from them, there seems to be some kind of copywrite conflict or something between them and the foundation. (Stephen would know more about this than I would.) I love what Dennis Patrick Slattery says about this sort of thing; that “Hermes” is usually creating some kind of mischief.) I absolutely love his book on personal writing called: “Riting Myth/ Mythic Writing”.
(You are so kind with your suggestion and I’ve just book marked your piece for later.) During this pandemic I have developed a small addiction to Ebay and Amazon’s: “Buy now” buttons; and my book selections keep growing every time I see a new one, so I have to watch myself to stay within my monthly budget. Stephen has helped recommend so many great selections I’ll be reading forever; but that’s okay because the more I learn the more I understand “what is going on under the hood” so to speak. His recommendations on dreaming and other Jungian and Campbell topics have been enormously helpful in my understanding of these subjects; and my list keeps growing.
Right now, I am immersed in several writers: Mario Jacoby, Darryl Sharp, James Hall just on Jung alone; and my main focus lately has been trying to better understand the constellating influences between archetypes and complexes because they dictate so much of what our reactions are via emotional stimulus and content. Jacoby was head of the Jungian institute in Zurich for well over a decade and instructed other analysts about Jungian analysis. He wrote 5 books on this subject before he died in 2011; each connected to the other in theory. One of his major insights was the relationship of shame/anxiety as a complex that stimulates or constellates other complexes. He felt that early childhood development and the child’s early sense of self came out of some of these early complex inter-relationships such as the connection with the mother/father complexes. I am certainly no analyst, and I’ve got a lot more reading to do on this before I feel like I’ve got a good enough handle on his overall understanding of the Jungian cosmology and how it operates within this complex field; but Jung called shame: “the soul eating emotion”. (I love David’s: “Pathways to Bliss”; btw; which is one of my all-time favorites on Campbell); so, the learning never ends.
But back to “Play”; when I retired from my musical life after 45 years; I knew I had to find something to take its place as a creative outlet or I would go nuts. So, I took up photography and got deeply immersed in that using it as a narrative to compliment my personal story and to go with my private documentation as my personal legacy to give to my family when I pass. Everybody has a story if they want to look for it, and I documented all my personal mementos by digitizing them on to my hard drive where I can retrieve them at will; and now that I’m starting to get all this personal material organized perhaps something may come out of it at some point; but I’m not ready yet; and I’m anxious for this pandemic to ease up so I can finally get out and do some of the things I haven’t been able to once more. In other words, get out and “play” again. Play as therapy; I love that idea. What’s our therapy?
Thank you, Stephen. That’s exactly one of the things I was attempting to explain. (And also, for helping me to better articulate some of my earlier thoughts and better express some of the things I was trying to get at.) One of Joseph’s points he continually stressed was we all have to live within a system. “Is the system going to eat you up and rob you of your humanity? Or are you going to be to use the system for human purposes. – “The Power of Myth” with Bill Moyers
Also, on different occasions he talked about utilizing one’s internal: “Sacred Space”; where one might explore and bring forth not only what they are but what they might become. Some might call this the imagination; but I think it is much more than that, and a place that both children and seniors hold in common with play. Perhaps concerning Alzheimer’s or Dementia I think somewhere Joseph may have mentioned drinking from the river “Lethe” to forget their past. I found this description on Google:
“Which river of the realm of the dead has a name that means forgetfulness?
In Greek and Roman mythology, Lethe was one of five rivers in the underworld, or the kingdom of the dead. Drinking from Lethe (whose name means “forgetfulness”) caused the souls of the dead to forget all knowledge of their previous lives.”
Leigh; so wonderful to have you here with us. I love your topic on the “enticement of play”; and how it can be utilized in thinking about our inner world; especially in thinking about how we use this powerful tool of the psyche to entice the inner child in us to come out and play. Indeed, Carl Jung used “play” as Joseph has mentioned, to work through some of his most profound inner problems to find out what his “Personal Myth” was as he was writing his famous “Red Book”; and Joseph also mentioned how he utilized this psychological inner state in designing and creating his famous house at “Bollingen”.
Artists in all of the arts understand the value of Play; and indeed, when they engage in performance of their craft this is a central mental and emotional focus in bringing forth what is in them as they express their individual interpretation of their inner process of creation. In other words: they Play at what they are doing as they share their delight with the world; (although it is serious in some ways; but frivolous in others like a child expresses him or herself as they engage with their inner world in a state of pure wonder.
So, I’m wondering if you might share some of your thoughts on how you see or approach “play” in enticing one’s inner child to come out and play as a person deals with healing. We know sometimes one recommended method is for an individual to take up some form of self-expression to elicit or evoke the unconscious contents that have been locked away or buried deep inside one’s inner cave, labyrinth, or emotional prison and need expression so the unconscious can become conscious and integrate these unrealized parts of ourselves. And the shadow as archetype often in waking life as in dreams will sometimes express itself with hurt, anger, or pain because what’s been buried by repression is seeking its inner voice to be heard; and play can indeed be a form or tool to understand it’s message; (especially at night when we visit our inner child in dreams and all those hidden wishes and desires come out to play letting us know all their secrets through the toys of symbolism they communicate to us; which we have to figure out what they mean when we awake. So, I would love to hear any thoughts of yours on any of this if you feel it’s relevant to your topic.
Before I finish, I want to share one of the most moving and poignant examples of play I have ever witnessed that broadcast last night on television’s famous show: “60 Minutes” with Anderson Cooper focusing this particular segment on the process leading up to the last performance of international music icon: “Tony Bennett”; (who at 95 is now suffering from Alzheimer’s), accompanied by movie and recording artist: Lady Ga Ga at Radio City Music Hall. Truly one of the most amazing things I have ever seen; with Lady Ga Ga as tender and gentle guide enticing Bennett through his performance and final career performance exit. (As we know Alzheimer’s and Dementia produce childlike mental states that many seniors now suffer from.) So, this is a very interesting and thought-provoking; and to me a very profound example of the psyche’s ability to express itself through play. (I hope this approach is not too far off topic for I feel this idea of play in today’s mentally over stressed world addresses a deep inner need to connect with some of our innermost thoughts and wishes that long for expression in an increasingly technologically driven environment; that seeks to compartmentalize our ever-evolving mental and emotional life.
Let me second Johnsroost’s appreciation and add a couple of thoughts as possible compliments. One; I have nowhere near Stephen’s archeological background but let me offer a short clip from the JCF YouTube vault as support. Also, Joseph states on one occasion that although he agreed with many of the people he referenced over the years, one of his interests was that of “diffusion” concerning how many cultural similarities amazingly showed up in other cultures on different parts of the globe.
Now we could say that the migrations of many cultures over eons could be responsible for some of these similarities, such as crossing from east to west across the Bering Straits into Alaska and the Northern Hemisphere and spread southward. And we have the indigenous native peoples to consider; but without much in the way of actual records like the Europeans who came later except artifacts. But depending on how far back we look we have to ask where they originated from. And if we look even further southward to Central and South America, we must ask the same questions. The Aztec, Inca, and Mayan civilizations originated somewhere; but where? And although Anthropology is not my background either I think this begs the question in relation to this topic; “what were Joseph’s thoughts considering that he had this huge storehouse of knowledge he drew from?”
I remember reading when he gave Spengler’s “Decline of the West” to his friend John Steinbeck; and Steinbeck was stunned by this work and said it took him awhile to recover from what he read. And Joseph also mentioned this book had a huge impact on his world view as he contemplated the future of mankind looking ahead. So, I’m going to stop here and let others who are more qualified than I am share their thoughts on any of this; but I think this particular clip may hopefully add something to the conversation.
(Btw, Stephen that was an awesome entry you just shared.)
Hello Mark and Stephen; what a great topic to contemplate, this thing we call time. I want to add a quick clip of Joseph’s from Bill Moyer’s: “The Power of Myth”; where they discuss the “circle”. And within this discussion a number of aspects are addressed; not only that of what the circle in its many forms symbolizes; but in many of them how time is addressed in relation to the way human’s experience it. The cycle of the seasons, the way humans use the clock or watch to tell time, the way we look at our life in its various aspects of life’s journey from birth to death, and our relationship to the far larger aspects of being inframed within a universe with its solar systems and galaxies all traveling through what we think of as time.
I remember an experience as a little boy that transfixes me still into a state of wonder whenever I see a flock of geese flying in formation in its timeless migration of the seasons; and you realize for a moment you are participating in something timeless or eternal that’s been going on since man was first here. The animals that migrate from one place to the next and then back again in this endless dance through time, and you are there in that moment with them as if in some primordial interplay that gives you a sense of being connected to something much larger than you can comprehend. Yet here you are participating in that experience that informs you of a universe in which you are enclosed within a moment of time itself. You are born and then through the various stages of life you mature into old age; and then you die, and yet so many of the symbols you encounter throughout your life take on different meanings as you pass through them, each with its message that informs you who you are.
There was a TV character in an early morning children’s show called Captain Kangaroo in the 1950’s called “grandfather clock”; and he was always falling asleep during a conversation because he was old. In the halls of many homes back in earlier historical time periods there were grandfather clocks that people once set their timepieces to, and always held a symbolic reference to age and time and how people’s lives would often interact within this symbolic framework of birth, death, a moment of crisis, or a stage of life. A train must run on time and watches were set by that timetable. We often think within this framework of what time it is; or are we so interwoven with the idea of time does it indeed sometimes rule our lives? Yet from birth to death our perspective changes about the questions we ask ourselves; in the early stages these questions often have to do with achievement; or we ask ourselves who we are? Yet as our life crosses its daytime meridian horizon from noon and starts it’s decent toward the night these questions begin to change from achievement of life’s goals, and we ask ourselves: “What is the meaning of my life?” as we make our way toward the dark gate.
Joseph mentions that man is the only creature that knows it’s going to die; yet within that framework there is an assimilation framework that attempts to connect the dots, so to speak, to make sense of our life’s journey and to realize; at least in some sense if we are lucky the overwhelming experience of a life we have been privileged to live and something that is left behind as a legacy. We don’t understand this mystery which we are enclosed in; but at least we have been given a glimpse of where we are going if we are lucky. Joseph called this the Marga Path; the path an animal follows back to its den. Perhaps the secret of time lies there waiting for our return to the womb from which we came.
I hope this thing made some sense, and in some way complimented, as Stephen suggested in a playful way what you are suggesting. So nice to have you back Mark; and thank you Stephen for helping to set such a great topic which you always do so well.
____________________________________________________________________________
As an addendum I have added a short video of the world famous medieval 600-year-old clock in Prague that might be enjoyable to watch as an illustration of clocks, time, and other related symbols to village and mythic life.
Hey Stephen; of course, thanks to the intense efforts of the foundation there is now quite a large selection of various works to choose from; but several that have helped me, and indeed continue to do so, would be Diane Osbon’s: “Reflections on the Art of Living – A Joseph Campbell Companion”; David Kudler’s wonderful edited series of lectures: “Pathways to Bliss”; Sam Keen and Anne Valley-Fox’s: “Your Mythic Journey”, (taken from Joseph’s, Keen’s, and Fox’s Esalen seminars); Michael Tom’s great collection of recorded conversations with Joseph over the years: “An Open Life”, available in printed book form. As well as the important documentary: “The Hero’s Journey” By Phil Cousineau, available as both a DVD and in printed hardback.
All of these are treasure troves of Joseph personally sharing his thoughts on a variety of subjects not necessarily covered in the Power of Myth. These are targeted especially for people who may be interested in further explorations of Joseph’s ideas; and have been indispensable to me in my own journey over the years. I constantly refer to them for direct quotations and they also give great overviews and insights into his huge body of work.
___________________________________________
As an addendum I should mention that although the book “Your Mythic Journey” is not a specific foundation work and does not include Joseph actually participating in the suggested topics for exploration, it’s focus was forged out of Keen’s, Fox’s, and Joseph’s ideas that were actually used in helping people to find and utilize their own personal myth. Joseph held these seminars on his birthday and until recently the foundation continued to hold this event there annually. (Hopefully when this Covid pandemic is over, they will resume.)
Hello Stephen; yes; some of what I posted was a bit ambiguous concerning your query; (my apologies about that); so, let me clarify further what I was intending.
“How do you mark the New Year? Do you have a tradition, a ritual, from resolutions to maybe a specific celebration – some place you always go, something you always do – to celebrate this collective recognition of the passage of Time?”
___________________________________________________________________________________Before the pandemic, yes, there were private meditative spots I would sometimes retreat to and attempt to communicate with my past experiences and refocus toward the future, but covid at the present time pretty much limits that option and much of my pursuits are focused inward. I also did, and still do, find that within my constant goings and comings what I’m thinking about much of the time is very relative to much of my inner individuation topics within the things I’m listening to, viewing through media, and reading about in hard copy such as some of the books in my personal library which cover a fairly large variety of topics, (many Campbell and Jung related); and then there are the internet research adventures I undertake where something I come across triggers an intense emotional reaction and I attempt to track it down. And then there is the dream work where the things I write down from my dreams are collected and then gone over the next day; (depending on what I’ve got to do for that day). But let me be clear in that because of my senior age and the pandemic, “I only go out to run necessary errands and then immediately return”; because so many people where I live often do not always observe proper Covid protocols; and many refuse to get vaccinated; plus, my vehicle is not in the best mechanical condition, so I have to improvise concerning what I use to do in my past rituals. For instance, before I would sometimes take some specific holiday music to play in my vehicle as I took long quiet meditative drives through a local park near where I grew up. One of my most meaningful ritual pursuits was with my camera where I would go to photograph specific spots that had particular significance.
The last holiday excursion had two different designations; One was where much of my childhood drama had taken place and was being torn down; and I was able to capture not only the past that I had come from; but redefine how I had evolved. And the other to get a sense of what the future was pointing toward; (the newer structures that had some kind of meaning or purpose.)
So let me give you a much clearer idea of what I mean. When I was very young, I was placed in a children’s psychiatric ward for about 9 months, and then transferred to a children’s home for 5 1/2 years. It was a nightmare pretty much; but I used that experience as a determined trajectory to define my own individual life; which I did through my musical career. But then comes the big Part 2 of the individuation process where you have to integrate the experience and the Shadow begins to have much more relevance since it is no longer being pushed down into the subconscious. And many of these various pursuits are focused on that direction.
Sometimes I will call people and reminisce, and I had a wonderful holiday experience recently on a FB nostalgia page where dozens of old friends stopped by. But that is not what I’m getting at concerning Joseph’s themes. For instance, his birthday, where if my memory is correct, he would conduct teaching seminars at Esalen to help others on how to find one’s personal myth. (I think you told me that one; but perhaps I’m mistaken.)
So, one of the things I did was to go out and capture the grounds where this children’s home was; and then I went and took some pictures of the children’s memorial to gun violence at a local park where Christmas lights and religious displays were reverently placed all around so the parents of these children could come and mourn. Sometimes I write about some of these things in various correspondences, so as a yearly formal church-like ritual, no, I don’t approach my personal communion with my past that way. But yes, I try every year to turn my attention in this direction. It’s a part of my personal Sacred Space you might say, but it’s not formally ritualized. I think each of us has their own version of the way they approach this season of Christmas to New Years. (I had many years of Christian indoctrination concerning this time of year; and yes, I put both Christmas and New Year’s together now because it represents or symbolizes to me a “doorway of transition”; which could also be seen as transformation as well.
I really like the way you’ve approached yours; and it’s spectacularly arranged with a huge banquet of contemplative food for thought. I’m just at a much more subdued level right now; and the atmosphere surrounding Covid; especially concerning the Omicron variant, is definitely affecting much of what I do. I hope this is a little clearer since, yes, the last post didn’t quite answer your questions.
